Aeroplane



1.. FOX.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21', I9I9.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920,.

4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

N .sw

1. FOX

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED. JULY 21', name.

1,338,128 Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET FOX.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21,1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

1.. FOX.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2t, 1919.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS FOX, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

AEROP'LANE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

Application filed July 21, 1919. Serial No. 312,143.

The usual provision in a biplane of the planes positioned with one directly beneath the other prevents the upper plane from offering resistance to the air upon the dropping of the aeroplane while the air acting upon the lower plane upsets the craft and my invention renders the craft more stable and less liable to upset by positioning one of the planes slightly rear 'ardly of the other.

I also provide convex ailerons for receiving the air Waves leaving the smooth lower part of the fuselage and passing upwardly in circular movement. The aeroplane is further rendered more safe by means of a gas or vacuui'u chamber. the entire construction of the device being simple and the craft being easily steered but controlled by the pilot.

\Vith these general objects in view the invention consists of the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings and then claimed.

In the drawings like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a front view thereof,

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view of a portion of the lower plane taken upon line IV-IV of Fig. 2,

Figs. and (3 are enlarged sectional views taken upon lines V-V and VIV I respectively of Fig. 3,

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken upon line VII-VII of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a rear elevation of empennage,

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view taken upon line IX-IX of Fig. 8, and

Fig. 10 is a view partly in section thr ough the vertical rudder taken upon lme 1\X of Fig. l. I

My aeroplane provides a fuselage 10 having a casing 11 longitudmally of the bottom thereof adapted for normal inflation with gas for adding buoyancy to the craft, although air may fill the casing 11 if desired or a vacuum may be formed by any convenient means. a propeller 12 upon the nose 13 of the fuselage serving to draw the craft forwardly while the pilot is positioned in a cabin 14: in the top portion of the fuselage.

A chassis 15 beneath the fuselage has ground wheels 16 while a double vertical rudder 17 is employed for steering the craft by means of suitable pull cords 18. A11 empennage surrounds the rudder 17 com prising an arcuate plate 19 having a bracket 20 to which the rudder is pivoted while a substantially U-shaped frame 21 carried the ends of the plate 19 has three rearwardly projecting aerofoils 22 projecting therefrom, said aerofoils being dished or convexed with their open end sides adapted for catching the upward currents of air.

Two main aerofoils 23 and 24 are transversely carried by the fuselage 10' to the upper aerofoil 2- being rearwardly of the lower acrofoil 23 whereby the lower surfaces of both aerofoils will be engaged by the air upon the dropping of the aeroplane. Both of the aerofoils 23 and 21 are formed of a plurality of concaved sections 25 for receiving the air in their open lower sides as best illustrated by the sectional view of portions of the upperv and lower aerol'oils shown in Figs. o and 6 respectively.

forwardly projecting concaved aerofoil 26 is positioned beneath the forward portion of the fuselage while similar forwardly projecting aerofoils 27 are provided upon the lower plane 23 at opposite sides of the fuselage.

Opposite fins 28 longitudinally of. the fuselage 10 are formed in concaved sections 29 for catching upward currents of air. Suitable supports 30 and braces 31 are pro vided between the main aerofoils or wings 23 and 24. The entire'structure is compact and complete and the pilot within the cabin 1% having control of the motor for the propeller 12 in the usual manner readily steers the aeroplane by the rudder 17. Should the motor become stalled and the aeroplane begin to drop dowrm-ardly, the resistance of the concaved aerofoils 22, 23, 24, 26, 27 and 28 offers great resistance and assists to support the aeroplane in the air for slow descent after the manner of a parachute.

- ing shiftable ballast for maintaining the craft upon an even keel when the propeller 12 is at rest and the craft is dropping downwardly, the upper wing or plane 2% serving to catch the air as well as the lower plane 23 and the fins 28. A safe air craft is provided and while the form of the invention herein set forth is believed'preferable it may nevertheless be understood that minor changes may be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

\Vhat I claim as new is 1. An air craft comprlsing a fuselage,

lower main aerofoilscarried thereby, upper main aerofoils carried by the fuselage rearwardly of the lower main aerofoils, said aerofoils each being formed of a plurality of downwardly opening dished sections positioned side by side transversely of the fuselage, opposite fins longitudinally carried by the fuselage rearwardly of said aerofoils and composed of a plurality of downwardly opening concaved sections positioned side by side longitudinally of the fuselage, forwardly projecting aerofoils beneath the fuselage and upon the lower main aerofoils at opposite sides of the fuselage, and a rudder at the stern of the fuselage.

2. An aeroplane comprising a fuselage having a forwardly positioned propeller, an empennage formed of a substantiallysemicircular plate attached to the stern of the. fuselage, a frame rearwardly projecting from the ends of the plate at the opposite sides of the craft, rearwardly, projecting aerofoils carried by the frame having dished lower surfaces, and a vertical double rudder pivoted centrally to said plate within the frame.

3. An aeroplane comprising a fuselage having a forwdrdly positioned propeller. an empennage formed of a substantially semi-circular plate attached to the stern of the fuselage, a fume rearwardly projecting from the ends of the plate at the op posite sides of the craft, rearwardly projecting aerofoils carried by the frame having dished lower surfaces, a vertical double rudder pivoted centrally to said plate within the frame, main sustaining planes carried by the fuselage positioned one behind the other and having dished lower surfaces, and fins mounted longitudinally upon the fuselage between said main planes and the empennage and having dished lower surfaces.

4. An aeroplane comprising a fuselage having a forwardly positioned propeller, an empennage formed of a substantially semicircular plate attached to the stern of the fuselage, a frame rearwardly projecting from the ends of the plate at the opposite sides of the craft, rearwardly projecting aerofoils carried by the fame having dished lower surfaces, a vertical double rudder pivoted centrally to said plate within the frame, main sustaining planes carried by the fuselage positioned one behind the other and having dished lower surfaces, fins mounted longitu'dinally upon the fuselage between said main planes and the empennage and having dished lower surfaces, a cabin forwardly of the fuselage, steering cords for said rudder, forwardly projecting aerofoils beneath the fuselage and upon the lower main plane at opposite sides of the fuselage. and an inflatable buoying member longitudinally beneath the fuselage.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JULIUs FOX. 

